“I have just never had the best opportunity to do it,” he explained. “I wanted to do it solo and keep it quiet but I knew that would cause issues to security and road users, because somebody might think I’m a jumper or something.

“My plan was to take a few other photographers I knew to go and experience one of the craziest sunrises we have possibly ever seen.

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“It was windier than expected but well worth the climb. It was perfect light to get the photos we wanted and epic architecture to base our photos on.”

In freezing temperatures, the group – which included YouTuber Ally Law, who famously broke into the set of Channel 5’s Celebrity Big Brother during filming of a live episode – managed to reach the top of the structure by walking up the cables.

One of the explorers clings on to the railings while posing for a picture (Image: (Image: Dylan Rhodes))

Once at the top, they posed for a series of pictures while marked police vehicles were filmed driving up and down the bridge in the background.

Uniformed officers met the explorers when they disembarked from the cables around 8.20am.

Despite being asked to wait on the pavement, Dylan and accomplice Ally ran off and managed to avoid being arrested.

A spokesperson for Highways England, however, said a security gate was damaged by the group during their climb and so a prosecution for criminal damage would be pursued.

The spokesperson said the group had put their lives at “serious risk”.

“Safety is our top priority and as such we are deeply concerned by this incident, in which a group of people put their lives at serious risk,” the agency spokesperson said.

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“The incident was quickly spotted on our security cameras and reported by our staff, and thankfully there was no injury or worse on this occasion.

“It is a civil offence to trespass on the bridge, and as one of the security gates was damaged on the main cable we will now be liaising with Avon and Somerset Police as to pursuing a prosecution for criminal damage.”